Present conventional seed analysis methods used in genetic, biochemical, or phenotypic analysis, require at least a part of the seed to be removed and processed. In removing some seed tissue, various objectives may need to be met. These may include one or more of the following objectives:
(a) maintain seed viability after collection of seed tissue, if required,
(b) obtain at least a minimum required amount of tissue, without affecting viability,
(c) obtain tissue from a specific location on the seed, often requiring the ability to orient the seed in a specific position,
(d) maintain a particular throughput level for efficiency purposes,
(e) reduce or virtually eliminate contamination, and
(f) allow for the tracking of separate tissues and their correlation to seeds from which the tissues were obtained.
Current conventional seed testing technologies do not address these requirements sufficiently, resulting in pressures on capital and labor resources, and thus illustrate a need in the art to provide seed analysis methods in which the maximum number of objectives is realized. It would also be beneficial if the seed analysis methods could be used in conjunction with other methods in the seed production process.